Oooft, is there anything better than love? That warm, delightful feeling that erupts in your chest when you see that one person who sets your soul on fire. Well, if you’re single like me, maybe money, chocolate and ice cream is better…

I digress!

I love love. Honestly, I do. I love weddings. I love romantic comedies. I love a heart-wrenching story that tugs at your heart strings and makes you cry like a little baby. It’s the hope. The thought of what might be. And having someone by your side that you can do life with.

And that’s why I love writing stories like my novelette, Hot Summer Nights and Motorbikes. You might be thinking, ‘hey, I’ve seen that cover before!’ That’s because you might have. I originally let this little babe into the world as a freebie (not formally published anywhere). But it’s since undergone some revisions and I’ve rebranded with a new title.

Happy Valentine’s Day, beautiful readers. I’m excited to formally release my little book babe into the world. I hope you enjoy Liv and Hunter’s story. It may be short, but it’s sweet enough to satiate even the sweetest tooth.

And if you’re a single gal like me, happy Independent Ladies Day (as me and my high school friends used to call it).

* * *

Hot summer nights and motorbikes are in Liv’s past, or so she thought…

Liv is career-focused and knows she should settle down with one of those corporate types. But she can’t resist a bad boy on a motorbike with tattoos.

Hunter is the best of both worlds. The only problem is he’s Liv’s new boss.

After an embarrassing work meeting with Hunter, Liv escapes to her family’s farm in the Snowy Mountains for the long weekend to let her hair down at the annual bush dance.

But when Hunter shows up in the Snowy Mountains unexpectedly, Liv is forced to drop the good girl act and let her guard down…just a little.

Fall in love with Liv and Hunter in this short and sassy story by Rachel Rinetti, author of The Birthday Romance Series.

Note* Word count of this novelette is approximately 10,000 words.

* * *

Love
RR

Jiminy wilickers, it’s April 2020 (well, August as I send out my newsletter)! I feel like 2019 and the first half of 2020 went past in a horrendously fast blur and I’m grappling with all the goals I had made (and failed to get done). But never fear. We live to grow and learn and I’m back for a bigger (and hopefully better) 2020, even with Rona gripping the entire world.

I wanted to let my wonderful readers know why I seemingly disappeared off the face of the planet. Kapoofed into thin air. Vanished like a phantom. I promised many things to you, dear reader. New books. Newsletters. Freebies. I simply wasn’t able to deliver, and for that I am deeply sorry.

The reason I wasn’t able to do these things is because I was trying to manage my entire life being turned on its head. I, a romance author, was trying to deal with an impending divorce, all before my thirtieth birthday. As you can probably imagine, 2019 and the start of 2020 was a tumultuous time for me. In addition to my personal life shattering to the ground, I had to leave a job I loved. I started a new one. I dropped out of two law units, and then took a semester off my degree. I had to move out of my house and leave behind a place I called home. I had to adjust to a whole new life and make new roots with my dog. I made and lost friends. I was let down by people I thought I could trust. As a result of all of these life changes hitting me at once, I completely lost direction and fell into a pretty dark place. I stayed in this dark place, for a long, long time.

And to be honest, I felt like a total fraud. Writing love stories when my own had fallen apart was an embarrassing reality I had to face. Imposter syndrome gripped me. And then every writer’s fear became my reality. I got writer’s block. I couldn’t get one word out on the page. Nothing. Nada. That’s when I knew I needed some time and space to find my feet. So that’s what I did. I closed the lid of my laptop. I stopped forcing the words onto the page. I got out of the house and did some soul searching.

My search for meaning about why I’m here, on this earth, led me to Bali for a spiritual retreat. It sent me on many first (and last) dates with some weird, some nice and mildly entertaining people (good material for a book, right?) It forced me to thrust myself into social situations where I felt way out of my depth. I met people I wouldn’t trade for anything in this world. I reconnected with my mum and dad. This seemingly horrible experience forced me back home, into my heart, where I needed to be. Alone. With myself. What I learned was that despite the implosion of my marriage, there is a world out there, beyond the realms of what I ever imagined. It’s a world that exists outside of me and my bubble. And this my friends, is where I regained my passion. My love for writing. Inspiration is bursting at the seams, and I cannot contain it.

While things are still not completely settled, they’re getting there. I’m in a much better place now and am no longer hiding from who I am. I am better for this experience. Kinder. A more compassionate, understanding and mellow version of my former self. Somehow, I had lost sight of who I was and the purpose of my life on earth. I’m learning how to be at peace with myself. I’m learning how to be on my own and be okay with moving through life solo.

And while I’m working on a new project, this time it’s not a romance. It’s a thriller (cue creepy theme music). I’m excited to share more details in the coming months and I’m working towards completing the first draft by the end of the year (but no promises, because you know what they say about best laid plans). I’d still love you to stay tuned for more details, and will announce when exciting things come to fruition!

Until then, I’m working hard on getting The Birthday Romance Collection up on Amazon. The series incorporates my first three published works, Birthday Girl, Birthday Boy and Birthday Wish, into one book. The three books follow one love story, between Angie and Liam. It was a story I loved writing. One I hope you’ll love reading. In the meantime, you can still buy all three books separately at your favourite e-book retailer. Same cost. Same story. Three different books.

I also have plans to publish my romantic rural suspense, Rogue Bloodline, later this year.

Keep an eye out for my newsletter, hitting inboxes soon.

Until then, stay safe, stay healthy, stay real, and kick on 2020!

RR

P.S. Coronavirus is a jerk and I’m sending positive vibes to wherever you may be in the world.

I recently released my first book (well, a short story), Birthday Girl, into the big, bad world. People from far and wide are now able to see it on the online platforms of Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Though it’s only a short book (approx. 9k), it’s still a book, and everyday since I’ve had to pinch myself that something I produced is available for people to buy, read and enjoy.

When I embarked seriously on my writing journey six years ago, I used to think when I became a published author, publishing that first book would be the end of the line. I never thought about what life would be like after publishing that first book. This is probably because I’ve spent the last six years writing, re-writing, editing and then re-writing my novel, Rogue Bloodline (which may or may not ever be ready to publish). The dream of publishing seemed so out of reach all those years ago. And back then, I thought the only way to become a published author was to be traditionally published. But as they say, times are a changing.

Why has it taken me six years to finally hit the publish button? The honest answer is because the thought of publishing anything made me sick with worry. Putting your book out there means people will get a glimpse into your mind. What if they hate your book and your characters? What if they give you a bad review? What if it fails miserably and no one buys a copy?  There seemed to be so many ‘what if’s.’ I finally got to the point where I’d had enough of my own self-doubt. It was starting to eat away at me. If I lived my life constantly thinking ‘what if,’ I’d probably never leave the house.

It may seem small, but I’m proud to say I published something. And that means I’m now an author. For writers out there who are facing their own fears about publishing their book, my only advice is it’s okay to be scared and apprehensive. Take note of those feelings and acknowledge them for what they are. Feelings. They will pass. It’s okay to be worried, but it’s also important to be brave. Because at the end of the day, you won’t feel any better about hiding your book in a drawer. And in the wise words of Fred Devito, ‘if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.’ Whatever it is in your life that you fear, don’t be afraid to push yourself and stand up to those challenges you’ve been too scared to face.

And in regards to Birthday Girl, it’s been slow off the ground. I’ve sold a couple of copies here and there. And that’s okay. This is only the start of my journey. The most important lesson I can impart is that your writing career doesn’t begin after one book. You need to keep writing and creating content. At first, Birthday Girl was just an experiment. It was an opportunity to dip my toe into the self-publishing world and see what it was like. I never intended for it to become anything more than just a short story. But people (not just my mum), contacted me to say they wanted to know what happens to Angie and Liam after Birthday Girl. So, I’m excited to announce there’ll be two follow-up books to Birthday Girl and will come under what I’ve titled, The Birthday Romance Series. The next two books will be novella length (approx. 20,000 words each) and will follow Angie and Liam’s love story as they navigate some pretty tricky events. Birthday Boy, the next instalment, is due for release in early August 2018. And if you get to read the series, I hope enjoy it because I’ve had a hell of a time writing it.

Until next time
Face those fears, my friend. And good luck on your journey!

RR

Now available at the below online retailers for 99c:
Amazon
iBooks
Kobo
Barnes and Noble